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66-512: A garrison of the Polish Armed Forces is located in Orzysz, and there is a proving ground near the town. The location of the town has been inhabited for a long time. In 1895 remains of a settlement dated to c. 300-1000 AD were discovered near the town on the shores of Lake Orzysz. The present settlement was founded by Wawrzyniec Polak, who in 1443 was allowed to establish the settlement by

132-635: A Masurian Institute was founded by Masurian activists in Radość near Warsaw in 1943. Andreas Kossert regards these claims as a presumption completely disregarding the actual conditions of the Masurian people. Along with the majority of ethnic German East Prussians, many Masurians fled to western Germany as the Soviet Red Army approached East Prussia in 1945 in the final European campaigns of World War II . The post-war Potsdam Conference placed Masuria – and

198-728: A military engineers company, a platoon of the 1st Special Commando Regiment , and a logistics component from the 10th Logistics Brigade. Elsewhere, Polish forces were sent to MINURCAT in Chad and the Central African Republic (2007–2010). As of 2008, Poland had deployed 985 personnel in eight separarate UN peacekeeping operations (the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force , MINURSO , MONUC , UNOCI , UNIFIL , UNMEE , UNMIK , UNMIL , and UNOMIG ). Formerly set up according to Warsaw Pact standards,

264-510: A German internment camp for Polish troops was established in the town during the Polish–Soviet War . Some Poles tried to escape and during such attempts three were killed by the Germans, plus three more died in the camp due to epidemics. In August 1920, Poles were deported to Königsberg and then Minden , for Russians to take their place in the camp. Towards the end of World War II Arys

330-535: A group of Poles. In all German geographical atlases published at the beginning of the 20th century, the southern part of East Prussia was marked as an ethnically Polish area, with the number of Poles estimated at 300,000. There was resistance among the Masurians towards Germanization efforts, the so-called Gromadki movement was formed which supported use of Polish language and came into conflict with German authorities; while most of its members viewed themselves as loyal to

396-681: A southern part of the Duchy of Prussia , later Kingdom of Prussia . Only in Allenstein, now Olsztyn , Catholics remained, because it belonged to the Prince-Bishopric of Ermland or Warmia . Because of the influx of Masovians into the southern lakeland , the area started to be known as " Masuria " from the 18th century. During the Protestant Reformation , the Masurians, like most inhabitants of Ducal Prussia, became Lutheran Protestant , while

462-452: Is performed with the middle and index fingers extended and touching each other, while the ring and little fingers are bent and touched by the thumb. The tips of the middle and index fingers touch the peak of the cap, two fingers supposedly meaning Honour and Fatherland (Honor i Ojczyzna). Czołem Żołnierze (the Polish language version of Greetings Soldiers ) is the official military greeting of

528-442: Is to ensure favourable and secure conditions for the realization of national interests by eliminating external and internal threats, reducing risks, rightly assessing undertaken challenges, and ably using existing opportunities. The Republic of Poland's main strategic goals in the area of defence include: The List of Polish wars chronicles Polish military involvements since the year 972. The present armed forces trace their roots to

594-581: The Armed Forces General Command and Armed Forces Operational Command were both established, superseding the previous individual service branch command structures. Prompted in part by the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine , the Homeland Defence Act was unanimously passed by the Polish parliament on March 17, 2022 and signed into law by President Duda the following day. In accordance with

660-756: The Central Powers failed to provide guarantees of Polish independence after the war. General Józef Haller , the commander of the Second Brigade of the Polish Legion, switched sides in late 1917, and via Murmansk took part of his troops to France , where he created the Blue Army . It was joined by several thousand Polish volunteers from the United States . It fought on the French front in 1917 and 1918. The Polish Army

726-671: The Council of State , and General Wojciech Jaruzelski , at that time the Chief of the General Staff , was named to replace him. Jaruzelski, a known Soviet loyalist, was put in place by the Soviets in order to ensure that a trusted group of officers was in control of one of the least trusted armies in the Warsaw Pact. After January 1990 and the collapse of the communist block, the name of the armed forces

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792-556: The Duchy of Prussia during and after the Protestant Reformation . They spoke the Masurian dialects . Since the mid-19th century, High German was increasingly used among Masurians as opposed to Low German used by most of East Prussia's German population. Many Masurians were often bilingual in German and Polish languages. In the 19th century, the Masuria region of East Prussia was named after

858-743: The German attack in September 1939 , which was followed on 17 September 1939 by an invasion by the Soviet Union . Some Polish forces escaped from the occupied country and joined Allied forces fighting in other theaters while those that remained in Poland splintered into guerilla units of the Armia Krajowa (" Home Army ") and other partisan groups which fought in clandestine ways against the foreign occupiers. Thus, there were three threads to Polish armed forces from 1939;

924-764: The Grand Master of the Teutonic Order Konrad von Erlichshausen . In 1454, Polish King Casimir IV Jagiellon incorporated the region to the Kingdom of Poland upon the request of the anti-Teutonic Prussian Confederation , and the Thirteen Years' War broke out. After the Peace of Toruń in 1466 it became part of Poland, as a fief held by the Teutonic Knights . A local parish was established in 1544, and its first preacher

990-721: The ISAF mission in Afghanistan led by NATO . Poland's contribution to ISAF was the country's largest since its entrance into NATO. Polish forces also took part in the Iraq War . From 2003 to 2008, Polish military forces commanded the Multinational Division (MND-CS) located in the South-Central Occupation Zone of Iraq. The division was made up of troops from 23 nations and totaled as many as 8,500 soldiers. In March 2003,

1056-532: The Masurian dialect for their political rallies during the campaigning. The government of Nazi Germany changed the names of several Masurian towns and villages from their original Slavic or Baltic Prussian names to new German names in 1938. During World War II the Nazis persecuted and killed Polish speakers in Masuria and imprisoned Polish teachers as well as children who learned Polish. The Nazis believed that in future,

1122-450: The Polish Armed Forces and popularly called Wojsko Polskie in Poland ( [ˈvɔj.skɔ ˈpɔl.skjɛ] , roughly the "Polish Military"—abbreviated WP ), are the national armed forces of the Republic of Poland . The name has been used since the early 19th century, but can also be applied to earlier periods . The Polish Legions and the Blue Army , composed of Polish volunteers from

1188-508: The Polish Armed Forces in the West , the Armia Krajowa and other resistance organizations fighting the Germans in Poland, and the Polish Armed Forces in the East , which later became the post-war communist Polish People's Army (LWP). Until the fall of communism , the army's prestige under communist rule continued to fall, as it was used by the government to resettle ethnic minorities immediately after

1254-620: The Russian Empire with a certain degree of autonomy, had a separate Polish army in the years 1815–1830, which was disbanded after the unsuccessful November Uprising. Large numbers of Poles also served in the armies of the partitioning powers, Russian Empire , Austria-Hungary and German Empire . During World War I , the Polish Legions were set up in Galicia , the southern part of Poland under Austrian occupation. They were both disbanded after

1320-512: The Seven Years' War it was held by Russian troops for four years. During Napoleonic Wars , French and Russian troops were quartered in the town in 1806-1807. A fire destroyed almost the entire town in 1826. The town became impoverished as a result of the fire and the collapse of the local economy. According to Kingdom of Prussia records, in 1834 Poles constituted a slight majority of residents – 600 compared to 502 Germans , however anyone who knew

1386-479: The United States and those who switched sides from the Central Powers , were formed during World War I . In the war's aftermath, the Polish Army was reformed from the remnants of the partitioning powers' forces and expanded significantly during the Polish–Soviet War of 1920. World War II dramatically impacted Polish military structures, with the initial defeat by Nazi Germany and Soviet Union invasions leading to

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1452-562: The 16th century Protestant Reformation . Today, most Masurians live in what is now Germany and elsewhere. Masurians are mostly descendants of colonists from Mazovia , but many of them have their roots in Germany , Lithuania , France , Austria , Scotland , the Netherlands and Russia . Some research also indicate the admixture of the remains of the Old Prussians . These settlers moved to

1518-596: The 1870s, Imperial German officials restricted the usage of languages other than German in Prussia's eastern provinces. The German authorities undertook several measures to Germanise the Masurians or to separate them culturally from neighboring Poles by creating a separate identity. After 1871 Masurians who expressed sympathy for Poland were deemed "national traitors" by German nationalists (this increased especially after 1918). According to Wojciech Wrzesinki, Masurians did not receive any assistance or help from Polish movements at

1584-742: The Bretons (not to mention the Alsatians) became French." The Masurians evinced strong support for Germany during World War I . In 1920, the League of Nations supervised the East Prussian plebiscite – with British, French and Italian troops stationed in Masuria – to determine the new border between the Second Polish Republic and German East Prussia . The plebiscite was organized by the local German authorities. Polish ethnographer Adam Chętnik stated that

1650-431: The German authorities performed abuses and falsifications during the plebiscite, and Stefan Berger writes that the Masurians were subjected to huge psychological pressure and physical violence by German side to vote for Germany. Kossert admits irregularities during the referendum, but asserts that in general, its results truthfully reflected the overwhelmingly pro-German sentiment in southern East Prussia. In Masuria proper

1716-458: The German language was counted as ethnically German by the Prussian authorities. On the other hand, only around 100 inhabitants did not speak Polish, according to other sources. In the second half of the 19th century, the town slowly developed again and its population grew. The populace remained predominantly Polish by ethnicity and Protestant by confession, and in the late 19th century the local parish

1782-409: The German language. This ethnically, but not nationally Polish identity was a repeated source of consternation for Polish national activists, and decidedly pro-Polish political parties and press never gained widespread influence among the general populace. Richard Blanke summarised this long-standing attachment, going back to the late Middle Ages, as "Masurians became Prussian, in other words, before

1848-428: The Masurians as a separate non-German entity would disappear, while those who would cling to their "foreignness", as one Nazi report mentioned, would be deported. Poles and Jews were considered by Nazis to be "untermenschen", subject to slavery and extermination, and Nazi authorities murdered Polish activists in Masuria. Those who were not killed were arrested and sent to concentration camps. In 1943, "Związek Mazurski"

1914-535: The Masurians. Like most of the East Prussian population, they favored Protestantism and adopted Lutheranism in 1525 when Albert, Duke of Prussia secularized the duchy and converted. Roman Catholic Warmiaks and Masovians were not affected, as they inhabited parts that formally belonged to the Kingdom of Poland . After World War II , many Masurians were classified as Germans and therefore mostly expelled along with them or emigrated after 1956 from what

1980-775: The Polish Armed Forces took part in the 2003 invasion of Iraq , deploying special forces and a support ship . Following the destruction of Saddam's regime the Polish Land Forces supplied a brigade and a division headquarters for the 17-nation Multinational Division Central-South , part of the U.S.-led Multi-National Force – Iraq . At its peak Poland had 2,500 soldiers in the south of the country. Other completed operations include 2005 'Swift Relief' in Pakistan, in which NATO Response Force -allocated personnel were despatched. Polish Land Forces personnel sent to Pakistan included

2046-538: The Polish armed forces are now fully organized according to NATO requirements. Poland is also playing an increasingly larger role as a major European peacekeeping power in the world through various UN peacekeeping actions, and cooperation with neighboring nations through multinational formations and units such as the Multinational Corps Northeast and POLUKRBAT . As of 1 January 2010, the Armed Forces of

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2112-399: The Polish flag, the latter is a march strictly used for march pasts, military parades and other processions. The Polish Armed Forces are the only military entity in the world to use a two-finger salute which is only used while wearing a hat (it refers to the fact that the salute is given to the emblem itself) with the emblem of the Polish eagle, such as military hat rogatywka . The salute

2178-509: The Prussian state, some of them joined the Pro-Polish faction of Masurians. In general, popular resistance against linguistic Germanisation cannot be easily equated with anti-German sentiment or a strong attachment to the Polish national movement. Most of Masuria's small Polish-speaking intelligentsia remained decisively pro-Prussian, often adhering to an older, multi-ethnic model of Prussian identity, centred on loyalty to their king, not so much on

2244-529: The Prussian-led German Empire at the Empire's founding in 1871. Masurians referred to themselves in the 19th century as "Polish Prussians" or as "Staroprusaki" (Old Prussians). Masurians showed considerable support for the Polish uprising in 1831, and maintained many contacts with Russian-held areas of Poland beyond the border of Prussia, the areas being connected by common culture and language; before

2310-842: The Republic of Poland comprise five main service branches: the Polish Land Forces ( Wojska Lądowe ), the Polish Navy ( Marynarka Wojenna ), the Polish Air Force ( Siły Powietrzne ), the Polish Special Forces ( Wojska Specjalne ), and the Polish Territorial Defence Force ( Wojska Obrony Terytorialnej ), under the command of the Ministry of National Defence of Poland . According to SIPRI , Poland spent $ 31.6 billion on its defense budget in 2023, ranking 14th in

2376-653: The Republic of Poland have transitioned to a completely contract-based manpower supply system. On 10 April 2010, a Polish Air Force Tu-154M crashed near Smolensk, Russia while in transit to a ceremony commemorating the Katyn massacre . On board the plane were the President (Commander-in-Chief), the Chief of Staff, all four Branch Commanders of the Polish Military, and a number of other military officials; all were killed. In 2014–2015,

2442-459: The Soviet Union and from other places. Orzysz is located at the crossroads of Polish National roads 16 and 63. The local football team is Śniardwy Orzysz  [ pl ] . It competes in the lower leagues. Polish Armed Forces The Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland ( Polish : Siły Zbrojne Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej , pronounced [ˈɕiwɨ ˈzbrɔjnɛ ʐɛt͡ʂpɔsˈpɔlitɛj ˈpɔlskʲɛj] ; abbreviated SZ RP ), also called

2508-412: The act, Poland intends to roughly double the size of the armed forces to 300,000 personnel, and to spend at least 3% of GDP on defence budget in 2023. This includes increasing the size of the tank fleet by adding approximately 1,000 new tanks and adding 600 new howitzers to Poland's ground forces. Poland's Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said that it is Poland's goal to build

2574-695: The arguments of German nationalists were simply aimed at gathering as much territory as possible into the German Reich. Mother tongue of the inhabitants of Masuria , by county, during the first half of the 19th century: Before World War I many Masurians emigrated to the Ruhr Area , especially to Gelsenkirchen . Here, Masurians were not distinguished apart from the Poles and both groups were seen as inferior to Germans, culturally or even racially. Despite those official efforts, German scholars usually considered Masurians as

2640-475: The armed forces, usually given by the members of the government or military establishment as well as visiting dignitaries during ceremonial occasions. The soldiers will usually respond with Czołem (States title/rank of dignitary ) . Masurians The Masurians or Mazurs ( Polish : Mazurzy ; German : Masuren ; Masurian : Mazurÿ ), historically also known as Prussian Masurians ( Polish : Mazurzy pruscy ), are an ethnic group originating from

2706-588: The dispersion of Polish forces. After the war, the Polish People's Army (LWP) was formed and its standards aligned to those of the former Warsaw Pact . The LWP's reputation suffered due to its role in political suppression both domestically and abroad, such as during the Prague Spring . Following the fall of communism, Poland shifted towards Western military standards, joining NATO in 1999 and undertaking substantial modernization of its forces. The Armed Forces of

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2772-688: The early 20th century, yet the history of Polish armed forces in their broadest sense stretches back much further. After the partitions of Poland , during the period from 1795 until 1918, Polish military was recreated several times during national insurrections that included the November Uprising of 1830, and the January Uprising in 1863, and the Napoleonic Wars that saw the formation of the Polish Legions in Italy . The Congress Poland , being part of

2838-514: The economic situation and the undemocratic – communist – system in Poland to the shrinking prospect of a return of Masuria to Germany. Mazur remains the 14th most common surname in Poland , with almost 67,000 people bearing the name. According to ethnographer Adam Chętnik , the Masurians were most closely related to the Kurpie branch of the Poles. A group of Masurians migrated south and became one of

2904-572: The five different branches was as follows: All five branches are supported by: The Polish armed forces has consistently held two yearly military parades ( Polish : Defilada wojskowa ) on Armed Forces Day and National Independence Day . These parades take place on Ujazdów Avenue and near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Piłsudski Square respectively. The Armed Forces Day Parade was introduced in 2007 and 2008 as first grand military parades since

2970-405: The holiday was reinstated and have been held yearly since 2013. The first Polish military parade took place on 17 January 1945 and as of 2019, the 3 May Constitution Day parade was officially reinstated. Marsz Generalski and Warszawianka (1831) are the main military musical pieces performed at ceremonial events. While the former is a solemn march used during inspections and the march on of

3036-442: The local parish pastor for not complying with these policies and continuing schooling in Polish. The population of Arys in 1740 was 640, and in 1782 about 900. The population of Arys slowly increased. There were 85 craftsmen recorded in 1775, a majority of them shoemakers. The town, located on a trading route, was granted city rights in 1725 by Frederick William I of Prussia . The town has been militarily occupied frequently. During

3102-462: The most powerful ground forces of all the North Atlantic Treaty Organization members in Europe. Since 2011, the Armed Forces are in the middle of a long-term modernization program. Plans involve new anti-aircraft missile systems, ballistic missile defense systems, a Lead-In Fighter Trainer (LIFT) aircraft, medium transport and combat helicopters, submarines, unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as self-propelled howitzers. Technical modernization plans for

3168-435: The neighboring Masovians remained Roman Catholic . In 1525, the Duchy of Prussia , a Polish fief until 1657, was founded from the secularized order's territory and became the first ever officially Protestant state. The small minority of Protestant Masovians in southern Catholic Masovia inside Poland emigrated later to Prussian Masuria. Masuria became part of the Kingdom of Prussia at the Kingdom's founding in 1701, and part of

3234-621: The program is the acquisition of around 1,200 unmanned aerial vehicles, including at least 1,000 with combat capabilities. Additionally, new helicopters and air defense systems are to be procured along with five light vessels for the navy. A new submarine force is to be jointly operated with a NATO partner, and general upgrade and modernization efforts are aimed at the country's air defenses, naval forces, cyber warfare capabilities, armored forces, and territorial defense forces (to have 50,000 volunteer members). The Polish Armed Forces consist of 292,000+ active duty personnel. In 2023, troop strength in

3300-420: The region of Masuria , within the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship , Poland . They number around 5,000–15,000 people. In the 2011 Polish census, 1,376 individuals declared themselves to be Masurian as either a first or a secondary identification. Before World War II and its post-war expulsions , Masurians used to be a more numerous ethnic group found in the southern parts of East Prussia for centuries following

3366-401: The rest of southern East Prussia – under Polish administration. Many Masurians who were classified as Germans were expelled with military force. After 1956, many who had remained in Poland emigrated to West Germany . As of 2003, approximately 5,000 Masurians still lived in the area, many of them as members of the German minority . Speculations about the reasons of this emigration vary, from

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3432-440: The southern territories of the Monastic State of the Teutonic Knights (these lands had previously belonged to the Baltic Old Prussians , whom the Teutonic Knights had conquered in the 13th and 14th centuries). The northern part of this state was soon settled by settlers from Germany and thus became Germanised. On the other hand, Protestants coming from the Duchy of Masovia , which was independent until 1526, partially Polonised

3498-479: The time. According to Stefan Berger, after 1871 the Masurians in the German Empire were seen in a view that while acknowledging their "objective" Polishness (in terms of culture and language) they felt "subjectively" German and thus should be tightly integrated into the German nation-state; to Berger this argument went directly against the German nationalist demands in Alsace where Alsacians were declared German despite their "subjective" choice. Berger concludes that such

3564-670: The uprising people visited each other's country fairs and much trade took place, with smuggling also widespread. Some early writers about Masurians – like Max Toeppen – postulated them as mediators between German and Slav cultures. During the 1840s, the folklorist Gustaw Gizewiusz (Gustav Gisevius) collected Masurian folk songs which were later included in Oskar Kolberg 's compilation Dzieła Wszystkie . According to Andrzej Chwalba or Henryk Samsonowicz, Polish national activists and Masurians already were engaged in cooperation in 1848 when Poles from Pomerania supported Masurian attempts to elect their representative Gustaw Gizewiusz who defended

3630-466: The use of Polish language and traditions. For Piotr Wandycz the events of 1848 led to Polish national awakening in Masuria. By contrast, Andreas Kossert writes that Polish interest in Masuria was inspired by a single poem published in 1872, "O Mazurach" by Wojciech Kętrzyński and that the unsuccessful attempts to create a Polish national spirit in Masuria were financed by Polish Nationalists from Posen (Poznan), Lemberg (Lviv) and Warsaw. Beginning in

3696-408: The vast majority (99.32%) opted to remain in Prussia . Attempts to create schools teaching Polish in interwar Germany were met with terror and violence. The time of the liberal Weimar republic saw a strong trend of conversion from the Polish language to the German language among the Masurians. Support for the Nazi Party was high in Masuria, especially in elections in 1932 and 1933. Nazis used

3762-432: The war ( Operation Vistula ), and to violently suppress opposition several times, during the 1956 Poznań protests , the 1970 Polish protests , and during martial law in Poland in 1981–1983. The LWP also took part in the suppressing of the 1968 democratization process of Czechoslovakia, commonly known as the Prague Spring . That same year Marshal of Poland Marian Spychalski was asked to replace Edward Ochab as chairman of

3828-408: The world in terms of military expenditures. In 2023, Poland spent the greatest share of its GDP for military expenditures (3.9%) among all NATO members. With over 216,100 active personnel in 2024, the Polish Armed Forces are the third largest military in NATO, after Turkey and the USA . Pursuant to the national security strategy of Poland, the supreme strategic goal of Poland's military forces

3894-429: The years 2013 through to 2022 have been put in place. During the 2013 to 2016 period of the plan, 37.8 billion PLN, or 27.8% of the period's military budget of 135.5 billion PLN was invested into technical modernisation. Significant military equipment acquisitions are also planned for through the 2022 period, with the Ministry of Defense outlying 61 billion złoty to be spent on further modernization. A major feature of

3960-434: Was changed to "Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland" to accord with the Polish State's new official name. Following the subsequent disbandment of the Warsaw Pact , Poland was admitted into NATO on 12 March 1999 and the Polish armed forces began a major reorganization effort in order to conform to the new western standards. From 2002 until 2014, Polish military forces were part of the Coalition Forces that participated in

4026-510: Was composed of 4,450 Poles and 1,000 Germans. During World War I , several battles were fought between the German and Russian armies in 1914 and 1915 in the area of Arys. The town was held by Russian troops for 20 days and heavily damaged. On 11 July 1920 the East Prussian plebiscite , mandated by the Versailles Treaty , was held in the District of Allenstein (now Olsztyn ), which included Arys. District-wide results were 1,480 votes for Germany and only 1 (one) vote for Poland. In July 1920,

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4092-400: Was named Maciej. After Reformation until 1702 church services in the only church were conducted in the Masurian dialects of Polish , spoken by the ethnically Polish majority of the town's population. A year earlier, in 1701, the settlement became part of the Kingdom of Prussia . It was subjected to Germanisation policies, and in 1796 a local Prussian official filed a complaint against

4158-431: Was nearly destroyed in the Soviet January offensive . After the flight of the majority of the population, there were only 300 people remaining in the town in January 1945, mostly Masurians (Poles). Orzysz became again part of Poland under the border changes promulgated at the Potsdam Conference in July–August 1945, and the remaining Polish inhabitants were joined by Poles displaced from former eastern Poland annexed by

4224-475: Was now Poland to post-war Germany . Although most of them left for the West , some also ended up in East Germany . Conclusion of the war and ensuing resettlements saw an ethnic conflict between leaving Masurians and incoming Kurpie mainly on religious (Protestant–Catholic) grounds. In the Middle Ages , the inhabitants of the Duchy of Masovia were called Mazur(z)y in Polish. Between the 14th and 17th centuries, Polish settlers from northern Masovia moved to

4290-457: Was reactivated secretly by Masurian activists of the Polish Underground State in Warsaw and led by Karol Małłek. Związek Mazurski opposed Nazi Germany and asked Polish authorities during the war to liquidate German property after victory over Nazi Germany to help in agricultural reform and settlement of Masurian population, Masurians opposed to Nazi Germany requested to remove German heritage sites "regardless of their cultural value". Additionally

4356-412: Was recreated in 1918 from elements of the three separate Russian, Austro-Hungarian, and German armies, and armed with equipment left following World War I. The force expanded during the Polish–Soviet War of 1919–1922 to nearly 800,000 men, but then were reduced after peace was reestablished. At the onset of World War II , on 1 September 1939 Nazi Germany invaded Poland. Polish forces were overwhelmed by

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